


Waters Rising

by LadyWallace



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Backstory, Crowley Whump, Crowley saves kids, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Pre-Friendship, biblical, caring Aziraphale, conflicted Aziraphale, gen - Freeform, sick crowley
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24549892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyWallace/pseuds/LadyWallace
Summary: During The Flood Crawley tries to save as many kids as he can (if the angel won't, then he's going to have to do it). Unfortunately, his rescue comes with a price. Crowley&Aziraphale pre-friendship, hurt/comfort
Relationships: Aziraphale & Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 125
Collections: Amazing Good Omens





	Waters Rising

**Author's Note:**

> Commission fic for Krvant! I hope you enjoy this and that it's what you were looking for :)

The rain had started in earnest. Aziraphale was still standing on top of the ark Noah had built though, watching the land begin to flood as he shivered in the wetness, his wings held over his head to shield him as much as possible. It was a veritable torrent, unlike all the rains that had happened previously.

It reminded him of that day in Eden, when he had first met Crawley.

Crawley.

Aziraphale wrapped his arms around himself as he thought of the demon. He'd seen him prior to all… _this_ and had been surprised to see that the demon was upset by the whole thing.

_"What, even the kids?"_ Crawley had demanded in horror as Aziraphale said that everyone would be drowned. _"You can't kill kids! You have to do something, angel!"_

_"I can't,"_ Aziraphale had snapped. Of course he couldn't. This was all part of the Ineffable Plan after all. What exactly did Crawley expect him to do? It wasn't _his_ choice.

_"What do you mean, you can't? Your side is supposed to be the good side!"_

_"I can't just disobey, Crawley, I would fall!"_ He snapped his mouth shut as he said that, but it was too late. He saw the demon's face shut down, and Crawley glanced aside quickly, fury glinting in his golden eyes.

_"Oh, Crawley, I didn't mean…"_ Aziraphale tried to amend.

_"No,"_ Cawley said quickly. " _You knew exactly what you meant. Goodbye, angel, don't get waterlogged."_

_"Crawley, wait…"_ But the demon was already walking away and Aziraphale felt a squeeze in his chest.

He felt the same now as he remembered the exchange. He looked out at the swirling waters, as the trees got covered and even the mountains became smaller and smaller. He wondered where the demon was now. He shouldn't care, it wasn't really proper to care, but he _was_ a being of compassion after all, so was it really wrong of him?

There was just something about the horror Crawley had shown at hearing everything that was happening, that had stirred something deep within Aziraphale. He wasn't about to investigate it, not even a little, but there was a squeeze in his chest as he searched the horizon, hoping to see even a glimpse of bright red hair somewhere.

_~~~~~~~_

_Crawley was pretty_ sure this had been a terrible idea, but what choice did he really have? If even the _angel_ was too self-righteous to help out, then he supposed he was going to have to be the one to do it.

In reality, he should have been holed up in Hell right now like every other demon, but instead, he was stuck on a quickly receding mountaintop with a small group of children—all the ones he had been able to snag before it had been too late. They huddled around him now, wet, cold and terrified, some of the smaller ones crying. Crawley held two of the kids on his lap, clutching them close, wondering what in Satan's name he was going to do now?

He still couldn't believe Aziraphale. Couldn't understand how this was all God and Heaven's will and how the angel was _going along with it_. Surely there were some innocent people, and the kids…kids were always innocent! Crawley tried not to think of how many he hadn't been able to save, because the thought made him sick. He just couldn't see how the angel who had given a pregnant Eve his flaming sword could condone this.

But he supposed that if the angel was that worried about disobeying orders, then Crawley would just do his job for him. After all, if it was against Heaven, then it was perfectly acceptable for him to do.

The rain just continued to pelt them in their meager shelter under a cliff, and Crawley watched the water rise. It wouldn't be long now before they were no longer safe here and, well, when that happened, Crawley was completely out of options.

The water started to lap at their feet, and one of the other children started crying, clinging to him.

"Come on," Crawley urged, "We need to move further up."

He picked up the children too scared to move and urged them up to the very top of the mountain. There was no shelter here, but it would keep them safe from the water.

For now.

Crawley looked up at the steel grey sky and silently cursed. Ineffable or not, he didn't understand this.

The water continued to rise, and Crawley sat silently as all of the children were crying softly now, obviously understanding the danger and the raw fear if nothing else. He wrapped them in his arms and wings, sheltering them as much as he could, but the water was lapping at their feet again and soon began to rise. Crawley looked around for anything, and saw the top branches of a tree sticking out of the water not too far away.

"Just stay here for a moment," he told the kids, gently moving away from them as he dove into the water and went to the tree. He dove and took hold of it, using his demonic strength to rip it from the rocky ground. It floated to the top and he shoved it back over toward their last sanctuary.

"Everybody find a place to hold on, it will keep you afloat," he told the kids.

"But what will we do then?" one little boy asked.

Crawley felt the hopelessness surge through him, wondering if he wanted to chance bringing these kids to Hell with him. He wasn't sure he would have much choice. "We'll figure it out when we come to it," he said grimly.

He settled the smallest children safely into the branches of the tree where they wouldn't have to hold on, and the rest of the kids grabbed onto the trunk. They were weighing it down so much that it could barely float, but it was better than nothing. Crawley tread water beside it, not wanting to add to the weight, but he was certain he couldn't do this forever. Even he would get tired eventually and then…

And then this was all for naught. He hoped that maybe the children alone could garner God's mercy if nothing else.

Night fell and the rain continued, Crawley could see nothing but water now, and he was exhausted. His limbs ached from constant exertion. He had to continuously keep the kids from falling off the tree as the waterlogged wood got heavier and heavier. Crawley knew it wasn't going to be long before the makeshift flotation device stopped floating, and he didn't know what he would do then. He tried not to think about it.

The next day dawned just as grey as the previous, and still the rain hadn't stopped. It had been raining for days, already, and it still didn't look like it was going to let up even though Crawley could see no land left uncovered.

"I'm hungry," one of the kids whimpered.

Crawley bit his lip and conjured a little bread. It wasn't much and he had no strength, but it was better than nothing.

But he could feel himself getting more and more exhausted, swallowing and inhaling water more often, resulting in flailing and choking, which only sapped more of his energy. He wondered if he'd even last longer than the tree. At least if he discorporated, he would end up back in Hell and he might be able to come back for the kids with a fresh body if he could get one in time. He really didn't want to have to take them there but it looked like there was no other choice.

He felt his eyes closing unbiddenly, and he jerked back to consciousness, blinking against the rain in his eyes. All the kids were slumped miserably over the tree trunk, exhausted beyond belief. So was Crawley, he felt himself slipping and he just couldn't move his arms another second. He was sliding under the water before he knew it and, in his despair, he simply accepted its cold embrace, seeing everything else at the moment as a futile effort.

_~~~~~~~_

_Aziraphale still kept watch_ , the rain was still falling with no sign of stopping and his feathers were long past soaked even though he was still able to fly. He had taken to circling around, studying the waterlogged landscape—well, it wasn't really a landscape anymore as there was no more land visible. He didn't really know what he was looking for (except that he did, he just didn't want to admit it even to himself.) It was stupid really, he chided, after all, Crawley had to be in Hell by now, he was sure of it. The demon wasn't foolish enough to stay out in this deluge long.

Unless…

Aziraphale didn't know how to explain it, but he just had this feeling. A feeling that the demon had tried to do something very rash and that if he had, he was probably in need of help.

And sure enough, as Aziraphale flew over the waters, he caught sight of something below. At first, he thought it was just another uprooted tree—and it was—but as he flew closer, he saw that there were small figures on it, clinging to the trunk and branches for dear life. A gasp escaped Aziraphale's throat as he saw the picture, swooping lower, and…

Children. At least fifteen of them, all holding onto the trunk of the tree that was slowly sinking as well into the stormy waters.

His heart clenched in his chest. How did they get here? Was it really…?

And then off to the side, he saw something move in the water, a bright flash of red in the grey deeps, swaying like some exotic seaweed.

"Oh. Oh, Crawley!" Aziraphale exclaimed, clapping a hand over his mouth. The squeezing sensation started in his chest again and he circled the scene, making some quick decisions.

He knew what he _should_ do in this situation, but…was that really what he should do? Was this some sort of test? Was he supposed to fly away and ignore this?

Even as Aziraphale thought that, he knew he wouldn't be able to do it. Never. There were just some things he couldn't justify, Ineffable or not.

Before he could overthink it or regret his decision, he swooped down and snapped his fingers. The children disappeared as he miracled them into a hold on the ark, knowing they would be safe there and probably no one would ever know. Aziraphale would find a time he could get them out of there before Noah and his family ever had to find out.

Now for Crawley…

Aziraphale landed on the tree trunk and panicked for a second when he didn't see the demon anymore. Had Crawley…had he drowned? Discorperated?

Aziraphale let out a small helpless sound, and dove right into the water, blinking in the dimness before he illuminated the area with his halo.

There he was. He spotted Crawley floating below him and dove further, reaching out to grab the demon by the back of his robe, getting an arm across his chest before hauling him up.

Crawley flopped limply over the tree trunk as Aziraphale heaved him up out of the water. He wasn't moving or breathing, and Aziraphale wondered if he actually _had_ discorporated.

"Come on, Crawley," he murmured, biting his lip as he rolled Crawley onto his back and set a hand on his chest. He could tell there was water in his lungs, and he quickly forced the demon to expel it.

Crawley's eyes flew open in shock as he gaged, water erupting from his mouth as Aziraphale held onto him, rolling him onto his side as he coughed up water before panting and gagging some more.

"There, there, get it all up," Aziraphale said, patting his back comfortingly.

Crawley retched for another minute, then sagged limply over the tree before he hauled his head upright and looked around.

"Wh-where…kids?" he croaked.

Aziraphale pressed his lips together, shifting uncomfortably. "They're safe."

Crawley looked up at him with wide eyes. "You…"

"Yes, I got them to safety, please don't mention it," Aziraphale nearly pleaded. "I have no idea what the consequences of this will be, so if you don't mind, I'd rather not think about it."

Crawley slumped in seeming relief, coughing weakly. Aziraphale looked at him.

"What are you going to do? You shouldn't even be out here," Aziraphale said.

Crawley breathed heavily. "Don't even…don't know if I can even…get back…" he slurred before he began to slide off the tree again.

"Crawley!" Aziraphale exclaimed and grabbed hold of the demon before he could slip back into the water, pulling him up. He looked down at the half-drowned being, and saw that Crawley had fallen unconscious again.

What on earth was he going to do? He couldn't just leave Crawley here, and yet…

Aziraphale bit his lip. He could at least get the demon somewhere safe until he recovered.

Resigned, Aziraphale picked Crawley up in his arms and started to fly with his burden across the water. He wasn't really sure where he was going yet, but when he finally spotted the top of a tree still somehow poking out from the water, he knew what he was going to do.

Aziraphale flew in that direction and banished the waters from the top of the mountain, leaving a dry spot. The tree, he miracled to grow in such a way that the leaves formed a shelter that no rain got through, and he deposited Crawley underneath that in a dry spot that he cushioned with more leaves.

The demon looked terrible laid out like this, soaked to the bone, and obviously so completely exhausted. Aziraphale did another quick miracle to dry Crawley's clothes and manifest a warm blanket to cover him.

He was about to leave, not knowing what else he could do and knowing it would be dangerous for both of them if he stayed, when Crawley coughed wetly, curling up on his side as his eyes opened.

"A-angel?" he whispered.

Aziraphale stopped and crouched back down beside the demon. "I'm here."

Crawley reached out a hand hesitantly before quickly pulling it away. "Th-thank you." The thanks ended in a coughing fit that left him wheezing on the ground.

Aziraphale frowned, leaning over him and pressing a hand carefully to Crawley's chest. His lungs sounded wet, like he hadn't gotten all the water out. He didn't think demons could have that problem, but then, they also shouldn't have been able to drown in the first place and it seemed like Crawley had done his level best at that.

The demon shuddered under his touch, and moaned pitifully. Aziraphale felt his chest squeeze even more than it had before and knelt resignedly on the ground next to Crawley, knowing there was no way he could justify leaving the demon now.

Crawley's eyes slit open, looking up at him as he licked his bloodless lips. "Are you…gonna…stay?" he forced out.

Aziraphale sighed heavily, and tucked the blanket more tightly around Crawley's shoulders. It was in that moment, seeing the demon's forlorn expression, that he made his decision officially. "Yes, I am," he replied in resignation.

A look passed Crawley's face that Aziraphale couldn't quite read, but then his eyes slid shut again and he seemed to go limp aside from the labored breathing that was making his thin chest rise and fall.

He was so very pale, Aziraphale realized suddenly, and wondered why Crawley looked like this. After all, it's wasn't normal for an angel or a demon to suffer this much from a near drowning. At least he didn't think it was. Of course, he had no personal experience…

He sat by the demon's side, keeping a silent vigil as he watched the rain fall. Crawley's breathing seemed to only get worse as the hours stretched on, and a flush appeared on the demon's previously pale cheeks. Aziraphale reached out tentatively and discovered that he was rather warm. Demons were naturally warm, but this seemed even extreme for a demon. A fever then? How was that possible?

Aziraphale gnawed his lip as he considered the possibilities. It was, he supposed, conceivably possible, that Crawley was being punished for what he had done. By Heaven, maybe even by Hell—possibly both? If that was the case…Aziraphale felt his stomach squeeze sickly. Well, if that was the case, then he didn't see himself getting away with his own disobedience much longer either. After all, he had taken his own part in rescuing the children, _and_ a demon on top of it! Surely if this was happening to Crawley because of his disobedience, something similar, or perhaps _worse_ , was certain to befall Aziraphale, it was only a matter of time.

He was pulled from his thoughts by a wheezing, wet cough from Crawley. He'd been getting more restless by the second, but now his lungs seemed to be protesting again, because he jerked partially upright, arms wrapped around his ribs as he wheezed.

"Crawley," Aziraphale whispered worriedly, as he reached out and braced the demon in an upright position, hoping to make it easier for him to breathe. It seemed to do little good, as he curled forward, the coughs shaking him from head-to-toe.

It almost sounded like there was still water in his lungs. Aziraphale worriedly ran a comforting hand over Crawley's back, trying to soothe him, but he wasn't even sure the demon knew he was there. Crawley eventually finished his bout of coughing and the angel gently laid him back down against the ground, pulling the blankets around him again.

Crawley whimpered and Aziraphale felt his heart ache in pity for this demon. He knew he wasn't supposed to feel that way, but he couldn't help himself. Just like with the children, there was part of him that felt like he was still, somehow, doing the right thing. Perhaps this _was_ a test for him after all. He just really hoped he wasn't failing. Perhaps he had gone about all of this wrong.

The next couple days were very long. Aziraphale fretted to himself about everything, practically waiting for his own punishment to come, and between the long bouts of silent worry he cared for Crawley who only seemed to get worse. He seemed to be practically wasting away, and his coughing fits just got more violent and frequent.

One lasted so long, Aziraphale wasn't sure it would ever end and when it finally stopped and he held Crawley against his chest as the demon collapsed in exhaustion, he looked down and saw that there were flecks of blood decorating Crawley's lips.

Aziraphale felt horror wash through him, and carefully used the wet cloth he had been tending to Crawley's fever with to wipe his mouth clean. Crawley whimpered, burying his face further into Aziraphale's chest, his long red locks sticking to his fever-dampened face.

"I know you'll be all right," Aziraphale whispered to him, gingerly brushing the hair away. "You have to be. I—I know you'll make it through this."

But as the hours continued to stretch on and Crawley only coughed up more blood, his breath nothing but a pained wheeze, Aziraphale wasn't so sure anymore.

He eventually sat with his back to the trunk of the tree and tucked Crawley between his legs, propped against his chest. It seemed to help him breathe better in an upright position and Aziraphale could brace him when he had a coughing fit. He wrapped the blanket around Crawley and sat back, continuing his long vigil. He was worried Crawley might even break a rib from the constant coughing. It was possible he already had. He knew the demon hardly had any strength. He wondered if he would just eventually fade away entirely. Aziraphale decided that if that were to happen, he was at least glad he would be there for Crawley. It would have been terrible to think that he might have had to go through this, and worse, alone.

He looked down at the unconscious demon. Crawley's face held no color, thinner even than usual, and already looking like that of a corpse. Aziraphale held him closer, as if trying to will some of his own vitality into the demon.

He too was exhausted, though, and eventually somehow found that he must have dozed off at some point, because when he woke, Crawley was shuddering against him, sweating more profusely. Aziraphale replaced his blanket and pressed a hand to his head, seeing that his fever felt like it was going down. It must have broken, that had to be a good sign, didn't it?

Hours later, Aziraphale was certain that Crawley's breathing had eased a bit, the wheezing lessening. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it also seemed the coughing fits were further apart.

And then the next day Crawley seemed to have improved even more, his breathing more even, and he actually managed to open his eyes for the first time in days.

"Crawley?" Aziraphale gasped in surprise and hope.

The demon blinked, and stared blearily up at Aziraphale.

"Mm," he tried, but his voice was wrecked from coughing. "'ng'l."

"I'm here, Crawley," Aziraphale told him kindly.

Aziraphale helped him upright again and gave him something to drink. Crawley swallowed with a wince, and even the act of drinking seemed to tire him out because he breathed laboriously afterward, eyes sliding shut for such a long time, Aziraphale thought he might have fallen asleep again. But then his eyes opened half-way and he met the angel's worried gaze.

"Kids," Crawley whispered in a rasp. "Where…?"

Aziraphale rested a hand against his cheek to shush him. "They're fine, Crawley. I got them all onto the ark before I brought you here."

Crawley looked around as if just realizing where they were and closed his eyes tiredly. "Thanks."

"Just rest," Aziraphale told him gently, pulling the blanket over Crawley again.

The demon did, and Aziraphale propped Crawley's head against his knee for comfort, before he rested his back against the tree again, feeling a little relieved.

He must have dozed off again, because when he came to, it was because something was different. It took him a moment to recognize what it was, and then he realized...

The constant sound of the rain—it was gone!

Aziraphale glanced up at the sky and realized that all the rain had stopped! The silence in its wake was almost deafening.

Relief rushed through him and he gently shook Crawley's shoulder. "Crawley! Look at this!"

The demon moaned but his eyes flicked open. "Ngk," he croaked, and looked up blearily before he seemed to realize the same thing that Aziraphale had. He tried to sit up but had no strength, so Aziraphale helped him.

"It's…stopped," he whispered.

"Yes," Aziraphale said, relief flooding him. "Yes, it has."

He felt a prickle on the back of his neck and he craned his head further to the side to see something spectacular appearing in the sky across the water. A gasp escaped his throat.

"Crawley," he said. "Look at that!"

The demon tried to raise his head, but seemed to have expended all his energy.

"Here, hold on a moment." Aziraphale stood up and bent to pick Crawley's weakened body up in his arms. The demon protested slightly, but clung with a weak hand to Aziraphale's robe as the angel spread his wings and flew up into the tree they had been sheltering under. He found a long branch high up, that was just right for sitting on. Aziraphale dropped down and lowered Crawley carefully down beside him, keeping a firm hold on him so he wouldn't fall.

"Look at that, Crawley! Oh, isn't it magnificent!"

He pointed out over the water and watched Crawley's eyes widen with awe as he finally caught the magnificent sight.

An ethereal arc of every color stretched across the sky, looking as if each end was dipping into the water. Aziraphale had never seen anything quite like this before—surely there had never been a sight like this yet, but it was beautiful.

"It's amazing," Crawley exclaimed breathlessly, eyes even more impossibly wide.

"It's Heavenly," Aziraphale breathed with certainty,

And for the first time since the flood had come, Aziraphale felt a sense of peace wash over him. All the worries that had been plaguing him seemed to wash away as the sun came out and lit up the rainbow even more, colors dancing in glorious prisms across the water. Perhaps, despite everything, he and Crawley both would be okay, and he truly hoped the same for the rest of the world.


End file.
